What may be reused from Triamore: The Covenant at Lucien’s Folly?

Games Discussion Ars Magica
1

Hello,

I am developing a series of supplements centred on Triamore, using its Fifth Edition presentation in Guardians of the Forests as the canonical starting point.

The first booklet focuses on the lands surrounding the covenant: the political and ecclesiastical situation along the Meuse, relations with neighbouring lords and abbeys, disputed seigneurial and woodland rights, and a number of new characters and story seeds. Later booklets may describe the covenant, Bois de Haillot, its inhabitants, its library, and further scenarios.

My intention is not simply to convert or reproduce the Fourth Edition supplement. The project substantially re-anchors Triamore within a more thoroughly researched historical setting, while developing one of the covenant’s defining themes: magi who are deeply involved in mundane society and politics. It would contain new maps, descriptions, characters, Fifth Edition statistics, and scenarios.

However, several elements from Triamore: The Covenant at Lucien’s Folly remain particularly important to the identity and early history of the covenant:

  • tthe name Lucien’s Folly;

  • Anaxagoras, Forba and Ulisterius;

  • Triamore’s original history: Conrad III’s invitation to scholars, its foundation at Schwäbisch Hall in 1151 by Anaxagoras, Ulisterius and Forba, and its installation at Bois de Haillot in 1158 as a neutral tenant, when its Hermetic charter was amended;

  • the general background of the unfinished castle.

I own the Fourth Edition supplement. I understand that it is not currently among the titles released under the Ars Magica Open License, and I do not assume that Atlas Games necessarily controls every contribution independently of its original authors.

I would therefore be grateful for some guidance on the available options.

Are any of the specific elements listed above covered by the licensed Fifth Edition presentation in Guardians of the Forests, or should they be treated as material exclusive to the Fourth Edition supplement?

If they are not currently covered, might some form of limited permission be possible for their use in this project? I would not reproduce the original text, character biographies, maps, artwork, floor plans, room descriptions, or layout.

Alternatively, would it be preferable for the new supplements either:

  1. to present themselves as additions to the Fourth Edition book, leaving its background and descriptions there and asking readers to consult it; or

  2. to create an entirely new history of the castle and its founders, inspired by the general premise of Triamore but using only material released through Guardians of the Forests?

The project may eventually be published commercially as a PDF, probably first in French and later in English, under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license and with all the required Ars Magica Open License and trademark notices.

I would much rather ask before developing the project further than make assumptions about material that may remain outside the Open License.

Thank you for any guidance you can provide.

2

Thanks for asking! We will add Triamore to the CC-BY-SA list. Assume it will be there soon, if you want to keep working on things.

3

That is great news — thank you very much!

It opens up possibilities that I had never expected. I will now be able to revisit the characters, places and history of Triamore, developing stories and scenarios around them while reworking the covenant within the newly researched historical setting of the Meuse valley.

Fortunately, I have already completed most of the necessary historical research and placed Triamore more firmly within the context of the Meuse valley. These new possibilities will allow me to expand and revise some of the material already written, particularly the characters, the history of the covenant and its connections with the original supplement.

Creating the new maps, illustrations and layout will take some time, so I cannot yet promise a publication date. However, I hope that the final result will be worthy of both the original supplement and the generosity behind making it available under an open licence.

Thank you again for this wonderful opportunity!

4

And thanks to Atlas' generosity, the new spells introduced in Triamore—and a bunch of other previous edition works—are already Open License, as I got the go-head to put them in the Forgotten Magic of Hermes compilation. Likely improved versions will also be Open License through my forthcoming Grimoire of Hermes.

5

That's really great! I converted the Nigrasaxa adventure to use Triamore as the setting, because I wanted to introduce the Rhine tribunal. I thought it was unpublishable, now I have to think about polishing it so that others might use it, too.